…in rushing rising riv’lets. For the first week of May the rain didn’t stop. We had to cancel our plans for the Mother’s Day Tea! Our airport has been shut down until at least SEPTEMBER! Our city of Caxias do Sul is at the top of the mountains. All of the water that complicated things up here all drained down the mountains and made a bigger mess down below. Our capital city, Porto Alegre, is underwater. The airport is flooded, supplies are limited, and the media is trying to play it down around the world. Media says that only 100 are dead, but locals claim that warehouses have been FILLED with the deceased that no one knows what to do with. The flood itself is horrible, but the aftermath is perhaps more dangerous. Insects, rodents, water pollution, landslides, and other issues have occurred. OUR CITY HAD ITS FIRST EARTHQUAKE! We don’t get earthquakes. Our buildings are not designed with earthquakes in mind! Fortunately, very little damage came about from it. After the first week of May, all at once, the rain stopped. Fall neutralized itself into a normal cycle. We have a day of rain, fog, cold weather, like fall is supposed to be. Things have normalized a bit more. Please be praying for our state, our city, and other missionaries we know who are serving in crisis down in Porto Alegre. This is an opportunity for revival, and for people to turn their lives to God as they search for answers in crisis.

One event we did not have to cancel was our Teenage Girls Sleepover! We had 8 of our teenage girls over to spend the night with Joneia playing games, eating food, chatting, watching movies, and playing with our dogs. They had such a fun time, and really bonded with Joneia. The best part was the time of devotions. Joneia told the girls to prepare a verse that they like and why they like it, and each of them actually did it! What was going to be about a 30-minute time of devotions turned into nearly 2 hours of the girls themselves talking about the Bible, guided by Joneia! She was so happy to see these girls showing interest, understanding, and even a little passion about the Bible. Ever since the event, these girls all seem to have a stronger relationship with Joneia, and it makes our hearts leap for joy! We pray for these young ladies often and hope that they will make right decisions for God with their lives. It is a sad tendency that maybe 1 teen out of every youth group will continue to stay in our church. By the time they turn 16, they usually get in a relationship or a job that pulls them away from church and they never return, despite growing up in our church. We have a real passion for our youth and setting them up to live their lives for Christ no matter what direction they go. But we also want to make sure that they set themselves up to be faithful members and workers in the church. Please pray for our youth group as there seems to be a lot of potential with the group that we new have. This next week we are going to have the Teen Boys Sleepover with me! We hope to have the same great results. Please be praying that I can connect with these boys even with my limited vocabulary.

I took part in my first Brazilian wedding! A young couple, Felipe and Luana, were brought to our church by one of our members. They both got saved, and baptized, and desired the become members of our church. However, they were not married. Pr. John Yelle prompted them to get legally married before starting in membership, and they promptly began the process! This showed conviction, and already proved spiritual fruit since they wanted to get their lives right before God! The storms cancelled their wedding in April, but the skies cleared for their wedding in May. We decorated our church and got them married! It was so much fun! I got to take pictures for them, and Pr. John Yelle preformed the ceremony. We are so happy for their union, and pray for them in this journey that they have chosen to take together.

Our Mother’s Day tea was cancelled for May, but not for June!!!...but that’s next month’s blog, so you’ll have to wait to hear how it went. Keep praying for our ministry. Another one of our young couples has come to us interested in discipleship! We are excited to start with them in this process. Pray for Robson and Sabrina that their hearts will be willing to follow God’s word wherever it leads them. Continue to pray for Lucas and Fernanda. They still have not returned and we keep praying for them.

Thank you so much for reading, and thank you for praying!